What's all the buzz about energy drinks?

Saturday

Nov 29, 2008 at 3:15 AMNov 29, 2008 at 4:54 AM

By JASON CLAFFEY

DOVER — The potential health effects of caffeine-spiked, sugar-packed energy drinks are not lost on Somersworth High School sophomore Rachel Biron, who said she drinks a can of Monster or AMP a few times a week for a pick-me-up.

"They might be bad for you, but you can't help it. They taste good," she said.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University are hoping to deter younger energy drink consumers like Biron by requiring health warning labels be affixed to the beverages.

The researchers laid out evidence for their claim in a recent article published in the Drug and Alcohol Dependence journal, arguing that regulations for energy drinks in the United States are some of the most lax in the world.

But according to the American Beverage Association, which represents energy drink makers, the researchers singled out beverages with "extreme names and caffeine content."

"The amount of caffeine in mainstream energy drinks is, in fact, moderate," the association said in a written statement issued in response to the journal article.

The labeling debate comes a few months after the Maine state Senate dismissed a bill seeking to make some types of energy drinks illegal for minors under 18.

Different energy drinks contain different amounts of caffeine. A 23.5-ounce can of Wired X-505 contains 505 milligrams of caffeine, according to the maker's Web site, while an 8.3-ounce can of Red Bull contains 76 milligrams of caffeine. The Red Bull Web site states one can contains "approximately" the same amount of caffeine as one cup of coffee, but does not give a milligram amount.

By comparison, an 8-ounce cup of plain, brewed coffee contains 95 milligrams of caffeine, and a can of Coca-Cola Classic contains 35 grams.

"Those suggesting that energy drinks should require warning labels need to be aware of the slippery slope this would create," the ABA's statement said. "To be consistent, products at coffeehouses also would require such unnecessary labeling."

Roland Griffiths, one of the authors of the journal article, said without proper labeling, consumers may not realize how much caffeine are in energy drinks.

"It's like drinking a serving of an alcoholic beverage and not knowing if it's beer or scotch," Griffiths said in a prepared statement when the article was published. Consuming energy drinks can lead to caffeine dependence and withdrawal, he said.

Griffiths is currently leading a study analyzing the effects of the drinks on children and young adults ages 8 to 21.

Lat March, Maine's state Senate dismissed a bill sponsored by Rep. Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, that would have made it illegal to sell AMP, Rock Star and 40 other energy drinks that have 80 or more milligrams of caffeine per 8 fluid ounces to those under 18. It would have essentially put energy drinks in the same category as cigarettes, requiring an identification for purchase.

Jackson said he supports caffeine labeling.

"It would be a good start," he said in a recent telephone interview. "I don't think people realize what the danger is and how much caffeine is in (energy drinks)."

Jackson said labeling was his "fallback position" when the bill he sponsored was discussed in front of the state Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. But several lobbyists testified against the bill, and it was ultimately dismissed.

Jackson said he originally proposed the bill after hearing anecdotal evidence from local convenience store owners that students would buy energy drinks and then drink them rapidly in a few gulps.

Mary Ann Cooney, director of Public Health in New Hampshire, said that while little health research has been performed on energy drinks, guzzling them in a short period of time could lead to heart palpitations. She added energy drinks are in the class of beverages with zero nutritional value.

Somersworth High School Assistant Principal Dana Hilliard said he hasn't heard any evidence of students downing energy drinks at the school. From time to time he will see students drinking a can of Red Bull or Monster, but they typically sip the beverage like a soda, he said.

While the journal article stated energy drinks are marketed aggressively toward teenagers, the ABA said its products are marketed responsibly. Some energy drink companies voluntarily list the amount of caffeine in their products, while most make that information readily available on their Web sites.

"Quite simply, energy drinks can be part of a balanced lifestyle when consumed sensibly," the ABA stated.

Hilliard does not believe warning labels for energy drinks are necessary.

"If we are not going to put a warning label on a Starbucks latte, we don't need to put one on energy drinks," he said. "If anything, I think parents need to be more aware of the diet their children are engaging in."